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A site dedicated to discussing a variety of action & martial arts film entertainment. The written and expressive work of the author(s) of Film Combat Syndicate is/are protected by Copyright Law. To send us scoops or share your inquiries, email us at filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com.

News of the Marvel Cinematic Universe exploded this week when Kevin Feige made it clear to the public that the current movieverse would eventually share space with the realm currently set up with the shows airing and preparing to air on Netflix. So goes what could be with actress Krysten Ritter in the title role of discouraged heroine, Jessica Jones who now makes her living as a private eye, grounded in reality with an assortment of her own problems whilst dealing with the volatile nature of supervillainy that comes with being a hero...only clearly you don't want to be in the room when it happens.

The past few months have been pretty ceremonial for filmmaker Feng Xiaogang in the wake of his latest debut lead role in Guan Hu's new gangster thriller, Mr. Six. The film has already made way in Toronto and Venice with a premise that introduces a look well beyond the "old vs. new" gangster theme, whilst still contributing a simple and entertaining story with Beijing suburbs as its backdrop.

Anchor Bay Entertainment is back once more with a third installment of the latest reboot of the 1978 cult revenge horror flick, I Spit On Your Grave. Horror movies aren't really my speed unless they have some sort of fighting and fierceness element to go with them, and actress Sarah Butler looks pretty tough here.

For all intents and purposes, a film franchise like Ip Man isn't something to end lightly on. Keep this in mind while lead action star Donnie Yen has already since well-informed his fanbase that this might be his last gung-fu gig and thus promising his latest, Ip Man 3, will be his biggest and best yet.

None of us really have much of an inside look when it comes to most aspects of film, aside from what blogs and trade sites can offer, particularly when it comes to meticulous mid and post production work. So when a company like Atomic Fiction puts out an announcement on its efforts for films like next year's releases of Star Trek Beyond and Deadpool, it's certainly worth appreciating in that respect. Plus it lends the added benefit of learning who to credit for the stunning visual effects we see in film, as well as the action we see in part from the stunt professionals on hand, and these two titles are likely to guarantee plenty.

I have to say, it was worth checking out actor Jesse Eisenberg and actress Kristen Stewart in Nima Nourizadeh's latest, American Ultra. It does contain an awful share of annoying moments of excess from Eisenberg's character as a psychologically-cracked weed head who doesn't know head from tail about what's going on most of the time, but it's the overall character development amid the explosive and gruesome action that makes it all the more redeeming.

Director Christopher McQuarrie's Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation was a fantastic summer entry into my movie-going experience. It continued an epic saga led by one of the strongest actors today and it opened the door for a new action heroine with actress Rebecca Ferguson leaving quite the mark she did.

Lionsgate and WWE have a great string of titles geared toward fans of wrestling and action movies, and many wrestlers have done pretty well in transitioning themselves from the arena to the movie set. Actor Randy Orton continues this from his previous foray on 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded now with a place in under Roel Reine's direction for The Condemned 2 following its 2007 predecessor with Orton now filling in the shoes of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy are two of the most immersive actors working in film today, something surely fitting for Oscar-winning filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu in adapting author Michael Punke's 2003 book, The Revenant, for the big screen. Looking forward, we get a film set in the 19th century western frontier, rich with potential and possibly some amazing performances induced by talent, as well as mother nature's unrelenting tambre to suit a story of triumph over tribulation and sheer vengeance.

The Fall season really is off the hook. More stunt reels, more screenfighting gems and dazzling action shorts continue to flood your way, and as always, I'm more than gratified to help bring it to you...and with a bit of a throwback bonus at the end!...

Chinese media conglomerate, Tencent, has been busy making making headlines as of late, especially with their equity stake in Legendary's upcomig epic, Warcraft, and now with its film arm, Tencent Pictures, making room with Celestial Pictures in recent weeks for a new remake of a kung fu classic. That title is The Magic Blade, directed by Chor Yuen and released in 1976, and it's also the latest in several titles Celestial Pictures has been involved in remaking since pairing with The Weinstein Company on at least two others back in 2013 - The Avenging Fist and Come Drink With Me.

MMA fans looking to see what Miesha Tate looks like in front of a camera with a debut acting role will gladly get the chance in director Rob Hawk's new martial arts drama, Fight Valley. Filming still has at least three days left before with post-production anyway, and a teaser could very well show up as early as the first or second week of October.

The theatrical and digital releases of After Dark Films's horror opus, 8 Films To Die For, is nothing short of a reason to make October 16 a marathon day for all eight films from different directors. The full event trailer is now online as of this week along with further pre-order and theatrical location info if you so fancy.

Director Ryoo Seung-wan has been hitting major high marks with his latest action flick, Veteran following its domestic release in South Korea on August 5. CJ Entertainment proudly guaranteed its North American base with a limited release as of a few weeks ago, and with well more than $80 million dollars to its current box-office standing, the film is reportedly on par to be the third biggest grossing South Korean film of all time.

Four years from its roots as an award-winning television series, director Faisal Ishak signature work on the evolution of the Malaysian YA crime drama franchise, Juvana, can be considered a staple for success among its filmmaking ilk. Its 2013 film adaptation grows further for its fanbase with actors Zahiril Adzim and Johan As'ari among its principal cast and a narrative centered on the harsh upbringing in life for troubled young men on either sides of the jail bars.

Pencak Silat is having an amazing moment of prominence in the recent history of Indonesian martial arts action films as of late. So, what better way to sustain it in the mainstream other than a flash mob right in the middle of a busy street in Jakarta?

Filmmaker Allan Ungar did a fantastic job with actor and martial artist Cody Hackman leading their previous MMA revenge drama, Tapped Out (or Tapped for those in other territories). Nowadays, Ungar is back with Hackman for their latest action thriller, Gridlocked, set to premiere this weekend at Fantastic Fest with Dominic Purcell leading, and THR has a new clip to introduce our protagonist in meaty action hero fashion.

Splinter helmer Michael D. Olmos's new film, The Green Ghost, has been picking up some steam for a while now since its first teaser launched back in June. This weekend, the film is poised to present ten minutes of the film at Fantastic Fest while we currently await a full trailer, although the film's traction has guaranteed us our look at the first official poster art courtesy of Twitchfilm. Take a look!

HBO Asia is ready to introduce a new highmark with writer and director Joko Anwar's latest eight-part miniseries, Halfworlds. The series has already garnered some attention over the summer during production, though now with a November 29 air date pending, we finally have a series teaser to share which you can now view below.

Perhaps one of the biggest and most successful aspects of television in the last several years has been the way in which various shows have been leveling up in action. Fans of the hit show, Banshee will understand what I mean with that in mind while forced to live on with the show's forth and final season set to air next year, dealing quite a blow to a fanbase that clearly knows, if nothing else, great television when they see it.

If there was ever a director who has proven the ability to reach down the throats of cult fans with sheer cinematic veracity, it would be none other than John Hyams who, in the wake of films like Dragon Eyes and with his father Peter Hyams at the helm for Enemies Closer, garnered much fan fervor for reviving the Universal Soldier franchise in brutal and fantastic fashion. As of late and now with Fantastic Fest in full bloom, the word now is that Nicholas Winding Refn is currently in charge of a remake of the 1988 cult classic, Maniac Cop, for which the younger Hyams is now tapped to direct from a script by Ed Brubaker.

A Best Director award and accolades from New York and Toronto aside, Well Go USA has finally launched a new trailer for acclaimed Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-Hsien's latest martial arts epic drama, The Assassin, and the footage obviously speaks for itself. It's actress Shu Qi leading the way based on an ancient short story compilation along with actor Chang Chen and action design by Stephen Tung Wai, marking seven years of on-again-off-again production with reshoots and other hurdles, as tedious and tasking as it might have been. You can honestly posit this as a labor of sheer love and passion from a worthy director, and now moviegoers beyond the festival reach will finally be able to see it when it releases on October 16.

The key music for the long-running 007 film franchise comes seasonably as one of the most celebrated soundtracks in movie history. And not just any song will be the one to lay the all important mood for said themes of each title, and you can tell just by the lyrics.

Indonesian cinema is back on the map as impressive as it's been with its ever-increasing production value on various films. Meet director Rudi Soedjarwo, a veteran of 15 years whose whose latest sci-fi action endeavor, Algojo (Executioner) from Integrated Film Solution, marks somewhat of a new beginning for his career in new age filmmaking.

I don't know what to fully make of the Men In Black franchise as of late. I enjoyed the first two films dating back to 1998 and had fun with the animated series that followed, and I haven't yet seen the third film.

With the forthcoming New York City production of John Wick 2 looming, expect more press to come for the remainder of the year. That includes a new report from Collider confirming that Chad Stahelski will helm the film in his first solo debut with actor Keanu Reeves returning to star.

No matter how I look at it, it simply just doesn't feel right that director Joe Carnahan's 2010 reboot of the classic television series, The A-Team, never got its just dues for a sequel. Tonally, it felt right and had Liam Neeson leading the way with a great cast that embodied all the tropes of its predecessor. And it had Jessica Biel for the win.

Actress Olga Kurylenko certainly has a screen presence about her worthy of an action role - the best case so far being that opposite Daniel Craig in Quantum Of Solace. Shes does pretty well for herself in that regard and now her latest, Momentum, is finally on the way to a release in the U.S. following its acquisition by Starz Digital back in July.

Turning films into television series adaptations have become quite a thing as of late. Shows like Shooter, Limitless, Rush Hour, Galaxy Quest and Minority Report are all gaining a foothold for TV treatment away from their theatrical heyday,8 and at the rate we're going, I wouldn't be surprised if John Wick went to the small screen after its current theatrical growth.

Acclaimed independent filmmaker, actor and martial artist Kevin Barile has been on my radar for a few years now, having worked on numerous shortfilms and just recently designing action sequences with fight choreographer Mario Rocha for actor Matthew Karedas's return in Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance. Currently Barile is readying his latest short, Fight For Your Life, for a premiere this week at the Action On Film Fest in Monrovia, California while gearing up to host a martial arts choreography seminar there this Friday as well.

Writer and director Joe Nation is on a mission to get famous, but what's he to do when his plan backfires? This is a question he'll be answering in the latest upcoming release of his online action comedy, Bob Thunder: Internet Assassin!

Well, I'm awake after just two hours of sleep and now I have to function like a normal human being. Challenge accepted, of course, and it's not without a huge sense of worth and gratitude as one of the most unpredictable and last-minute things I've experienced as an action film enthusiast.

Muay Thai is always a great centerpiece for integral drama depending on the director's intentions. Here, director Norachai Kajchapanont's latest film, Mard Payak, looks to bring some extra perspective with an insightful biopictoral offering on Samart Payakarun, who himself is considered to be one of the greatest boxing and Muay Thai fighting champions of all time.

It's always nice to know that there are film festivals that willingly cater to the aspirations of filmmakers today. Such creatives like director Ng Siu-Lun certainly garner that attention as one of among 17 candidates for this year's open division of the Fresh Wave International Shorts Festival now in its 10th year with his latest endeavor, Blade Of Enforcer, serving quite a delight judging by its new trailer.

Actor Thanawut Kessaro has been pretty busy this year catering to crowds in the wake of his latest directorial debut, Siam Yuth: The Dawn Of The Kingdom. Kessaro, who previously starred in Samurai Ayothaya (a.k.a. Muay Thai Samurai) joins a cast led by Than Thanakorn and Thira Chutikul with a story of two homeless musician brothers who get caught in the throes of a kingdom in rebellion against a corrupt prince.

Director Denis Villeneuve's latest crime pic, Sicario, has had a fantastic run this year with rave festival reviews and approval from critics since then. The film is currently rolling out in select theaters as of last week with box-office figures currently standing at $401,288 with over $66,000 on average per screens since then, which stands as good news for Lionsgate before releasing the film in more cities leading up to a wide release on October 2.

Off the heels of my most recent three year anniversary piece, I sit here writing this at the wonder of seeing so much content floating online. I feel proud to share it all in my weekly Hit List and I sincerely hope it further benefits everyone I share...

Correct me if I'm wrong, though I am of the opinion that there is no stopping Liam Neeson. With films like Narco Sub, A Willing Patriot, Operation Cromite and upcoming action comedy, The Revenger, the last thing you'd expect would be any talk of retirement from doing action thriller roles, and those blurbs are out there. At any rate, there's obviously no going away for Neeson anytime soon, and especislly considering he's added another title to his current load as of Monday.

Frankly, it's pretty unfortunate that there are film distributors who don't find certain film worthy of an audience beyond its local crowd. Keep that in mind when it comes to director Wych Kaosayanada's forthcomig U.S. release, Zero Tolerance, starring Dustin Nguyen and Scott Adkins.

Made through trial and error and the many blessings of their fans and Kickstarter backers alike, it was back in 2012 that indie cult film studio, Beat Down Boogie, achieved a major milestone toward an ambitious new webseries attributed to the Super Mario franchise. Fans now know this series as the award-winning epic saga, Mario Warfare, directed by Dogs Of Chinatown helmer Micah Moore and running in eight parts as of last summer with Matthew Sumner and Jarod Kearney starring as our two beloved plumbers now forged in the heat of combat as Bowser and his goons lay claim to the Mushroom Kingdom.

Action star Mark Dacascos has hit a pivotal point in his career that will hopefully add him to the list of names of prominent filmmakers for the future of the action genre. In that regard, his latest, Showdown In Manila, in which is also co-stars, enlists a cast seasoned and well known enough among fans that it
should garner plenty of attention for Dacascos ahead of future plans, and in the good company of Russian action star and producer Alexander Nevsky, who himself has become a bit buzzworthy himself in recent memory.

DirecTV's hit MMA family drama, Kingdom, hit high scores among TV viewers upon the first season last October. Alas, it's no surprise that fans are delighted for the show's forthcoming second and third-season run, with an October 14 date for season two pending; Not to mention it gives us martial arts action with intense drama from an amazing cast and newly added Natalie Martinez now in the mix. Consider me sold.

Malaysian action returned to the fray this weekend as director Ghaz Abu Bakar's latest, Polis Evo, released in local cinemas on the 17th. Zizak Rizan and Shaheizy Sam take the lead in this latest odd couple cop action adventure which doesn't quite have an audience beyond its current market, and hopefully like with most films that will change.

The current production of director Christian Sesma's new action thriller, Vigilante Diaries, has been quite the enduring one. Taking into account the last several years have seen the property evolve righteously from an experimental hyperviolent and sexy Chill.com exclusive webseries to a now fully-fledged action movie, there's plenty to hope for here with a cast and crew that is nothing short of adhesive to its craft. Watch Sesma's The Nightcrew and you'll see what I mean.

Three years ago this weekend, I launched Film Combat Syndicate on Facebook with the goal of re-engaging up-and-coming action performers and stuntmen rooted in YouTube semi-celebrity (this following an earlier effort I made in 2008). Low and behold, I've embedded myself in a world of amazing content and dozens upon dozens of talented people with a small community of my own on social media, and it's been, and still is, an adventure.

It's been months and months since we've heard a word or a blurb about director Scott Mann's new movie, Bus 657Heist. It's a rather simple one I guess. I'm not quite sure what goes into renaming it, but at least we can finally put our curiosity at ease now that we have an official trailer making the rounds.

Director Amemiya Keita's latest induction to the Garo cineverse, Biku: Yamgirinochi is arriving in stellar fashion for the Tokusatsu fanbase. With the 10th anniversary of the series looming in October, Biku: Yamigirinochi will follow a month after with a select release planned for November 14, spun-off from the recent Makai no Hana series with actress and J-idol Akimoto Sayaka front and center.

The last seven years have been crazy for actor Liam Neeson in the wake of the success brought on with his portrayal as retired CIA agent Bryan Mills in Pierre Morrel's globetrotting espionage Euro actioner, Taken. The film led to a spectacular and epic trilogy with the latter two directed by Oliver Megaton and showcased Neeson in a role garnered with sheer fandom of a character that would do anything to protect his family.

I have to say, director Brett Eisner's latest action horror sci-fi, The Last Witch Hunter, is looking more and more epic with each morsel offered to us. Vin Diesel is back once more, bald head and all, and facing glorious evil in this one, and at the crossroads of time as well as an immortal lurking on Earth with the ability to slay witches.

Director Ericson Core's new film, Point Break, has a daunting task ahead of its December release. It's a reboot of the 1991 classic helmed by Kathryn Bigelow which also challenges audiences with a refurbished new look and augmented dynamic vision for its extreme sports-based storytelling through leads Luke Bracey and Edgar Ramirez.